7 Great Ways To Spend Christmas Outdoors

For many, the holidays bring about a sense of nostalgia and warm memories. Many, if not most, people spend their Christmas indoors, around the fireplace or dining table or tv, but many great memories can be made if you spend Christmas outdoors.

What if this year, you convince your family that instead of buying each other presents, you buy each other experiences? One year, on my birthday, my family did just that. We rented an 8 person condo up in Mammoth Lakes.

Everyone spent Christmas outdoors enjoying the snow in their preferred way. Some went downhill skiing, some went cross-country skiing, and some built snowmen. It was easily the most memorable Christmas in my life.

If you’d like to make some great memories of Christmas outdoors, here are some ideas:

7 Great Ways to Spend Christmas Outdoors

1. Go skiing. Skiing is easily one of the most popular winter outdoor activities. As mentioned before, there are different types of skiing that will appeal to different skill levels, like downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. Not great on skis? Try snowboarding instead.
2. Go snowshoeing. Not feeling the whole skiing thing? Strap on some snowshoes and walk through the surrounding winter wonderland where regular old snow boots can’t go. It’s something the whole family can do together.
3. Go sledding. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of sliding down a snowy hill on a sled. Use a proper steerable sled on a gentle, obstacle-free slope with a flat runout, and supervise children.
4. Build a snowman or make a snow sculpture. This is another activity everyone in the family can participate in and it can get those creative juices flowing. Challenge yourselves to add more detail or create an entire scene out of snow.
5. Go ice skating. Choose a maintained outdoor rink or a frozen surface that local authorities have checked and approved for skating; ice thickness alone does not guarantee safety.
6. Look at Christmas lights. Not every way to spend Christmas outdoors is physically taxing. Taking a leisurely stroll while looking at Christmas lights is a pleasant way to enjoy the holidays outside. For an added holiday touch, bring a thermos of hot chocolate and marshmallows.
7. Go hiking. Hiking is a completely different experience in winter than it is in summer, especially if you choose a snowy trail. There are few things more serene in life than hiking through nature in the snow.

And there you have it, 7 great ways to spend Christmas outside. I hope this inspires you to get outside and make some different Christmas memories this year.